Blood pressure/i.v. question (on lymph node side)

Nancy, even with only one or two nodes removed, you're still at rist of developing lymphedema. So yes, IVs, BP, all needle sticks should be done on the other side.

You might find some med personnel telling you it's not necessary but I've read about too many women with only SNB who developed LE so why risk it?

Best of luck. You might want to look in the Lymphedema forum to get more info on risk reduction.

Leah

Interesting...I had 3 nodes removed on my right side, and none of my docs ever told me I shouldn't have BP or blood tests done on that side. However, a nurse who was about to take my BP warned me not to have it done on the affected side. Since then, though, I've had to have several IV's for MRI's, and they have not been able to find a good vein on the opposite side and have resorted to using my right hand. In the future, what should they do?

I just found out that my mom has stage one breast cancer. I don't know what to do, she just told me yesterday and I don't know anything about breast cancer. Please help me. 

Marina - I'm so sorry about your mom.  This site has some excellent information.  You may also wish to post in the Newly Diagnosed section.  There are many people there who can help you learn what you can do to support your mom. 

AEM - you should worry about LE.  Most surgeons and MOs are unfortunately woefully ignorant about lymphedema and give a lot of bad advice to their patients.  There are many many women with LE who post regularly on the LE forum here who had "just" an SNB and were told by their doctors that they were at low risk and had no need to take precautions.  So they went ahead and took no precautions, and allowed blood draws and other procedures on their SNB side. Now they are dealing with LE, an incurable lifelong condition. Why take that chance?  

Check out the LE forum.  You may also wish to check out a great website put together by b/c survivors who have LE and wanted to share their information with others:  http://stepup-speakout.org/

I developed mild truncal LE with my first BC, but my arm wasn't affected.  For the first four years no one mentioned I should avoid sticks and BP's on the affected side.  When I had my second BC on the other side there was a lot more info available and I began using foot for sticks and leg for BP's and met with soooo much resistance from the medical community.  My own GP said bah no problem but I was persistent and stood my ground.  Eleven years after the first BC I developed arm LE.  Fast forward to thirteen years after first primary and #3 primary reared its ugly little head.  They had to use the LE arm during my BMX/DIEP and it has been sore and swollen for almost 3 years now.  I ended up in my small local hospital after the first revision surgery and had an iv in my foot.  The hospital "Generalist" came into my room, looked at the iv and asked why it was there.  When I told him I had LE he said bah it's all a myth!  He continued on to say I'd throw a clot and die using my foot for iv's!!!  I tried to enlighten him.  (I had a friend whose LE was so bad she had to use a sleeve with pneumatic pump just to get her compression sleeves on.  She ultimately lost the use of her arm and would hitch her thumb through her belt loop to keep it out of the way.)  If I'd been a newbie at this I'd have listened to this guy.  He wasn't interested in hearing what I had to say and I ended up telling him he should go back to school or treat people with common colds; booted him out of my room and complained to hospital administration.  Sheesh, we have enough to deal with living with BC, we don't need to suffer fools as well.

LE may not be entirely preventable but there's a lot we can do to try to avoid it.  There is a wealth of info on the LE thread.

Never be afraid to stand your ground and refuse to let anyone use your affected arm.  It's worth taking the precaution.  As for the 'throw a clot and die' comment, I've been using feet/legs for 11 years without a problem other than the occasional PO'ed technician who doesn't like doing it and finds someone else after sticking me unsuccessfully a dozen times for a blood draw.  Sure it's a little painful lol but it's a lot less painful than LE.  I don't often lose my cool when dealing with those in the med community without LE experience, I prefer to share the knowledge instead Most are willing to listen, learn and appreciate my directing them to this site.